Abi Feijó was born in Braga, Portugal in 1956 and graduates from the Oporto School of Fine Arts. In 1984 he came to the National Film Board of Canada for an animation internship, which resulted in the short film Oh que Calma. Soon After, he founded Filmógrafo, an animation studio based on the NFB model of handcrafted auteur animation. The studio has built an international reputation that extends far beyond Portugal.
As a Director, Feijó explores a variety of animation techniques, always with a carefully written story. In 1993, he made Os Salteadores / The Outlaws, an animated short using drawings on paper; this political drama recalling a painful incident from recent Portuguese history won numerous international awards.
It was followed by Fado Lusitano (1995), a sort of self-portrait of Portugal, his history, art and culture, using paper cut-out animation. In 2000, in co-production with RTP and the French Program's Animation / Youth Studio, he completed Clandestino / Stowaway, a sand animation film whose richly textured images evoke the difficult struggle for freedom.
At Filmógrafo, Feijó serves as producer and artistic advisor. He also gives workshops and training around the world. He is currently involved in establishing The Animation House, a
cultural centre devoted to the art of animation in Oport.
REGINA PESSOA
Born in Coimbra in 1969
Graduates at the Oporto University of Fine Arts.
In 1992 begins working in Filmógrafo, where she collaborates as an animator.
In 1999 animates and directs her first author film “A Noite” (The Night), engraving in plaster plates and won 9 awards.
2005 animates and directs her second short animation film “Tragic Story with Happy Ending”, whose project received 3 prizes in Annecy “Espace Projects” 2001. and recently won 26 awards including: Spécial Jury Award Cinanima’05, the CNC’06 Quality Award, the Best Animation award at Granada’06, the Special Jury Award at Anifest Trebon’06, the Grand Prix at SICAF’06, the Grand Prix at Annecy’06, the Prize Best of Section at Melbourne ’06, Nominee for the Cartoon d’Or 2006 – Europe, The Special International Jury Prize Hiroshima’06, the Grand Prix at Mecal’06 and a prize at AniMadrid’06.
I lived in the countryside in a small village near Coimbra until I was 17 years old. My entire universe was rural. We didn’t have television, which was very boring…but in retrospect, thinking things over, maybe it saved me. We read and listen to our elders telling stories.
My uncle used to draw on the walls and on the doors of my grandmother’s home, with pieces of coal.
Seeing my uncle drawing on the walls gave us a sense of freedom because we didn’t have paper and pencils but we always had walls and doors – maybe this stayed with me unconsciously because know, much later, it’s already the second film that I’m making in engraving technique…
filmography
OH QUE CALMA - Abi Feijó - 16mm, cor, 3’ 08’’-1985
Baseado na música tradicional portuguesa Oh que calma vai caindo, este filme foi realizado durante um estágio no Estúdio Francês de Animação do Office National du Film du Canadá. A areia, o ecrã de alfinetes, a plasticina, o pastel, os recortes, a gravura sobre película, o desenho e as fotocópias são as oito técnicas utilizadas na realização deste filme de animação.
A NOITE QUE SAIU NA RUA - Abi Feijó - 16mm, cor, som óptico, 4’ 50” - 1987
Nights are hidden days beyond our minds. But some remain like flying shadows reshaping the naive images of our lives. Faces hurt with emptiness, characters petrified in silence, lands inked with blood....And we become sleepy, carelessly dying, until morning happens.
OS SALTEADORES - Abi Feijó - Cor, 35mm, 14' 14'’ (desenho a grafite) – 1993.
Awards: ANNECY’89 (França), Espace Projeto, Prêmio SACD pelo projeto de filme, CINANIMA’93, Prêmio Especial do Júri, VILA DO CONDE’94, Menção Honrosa, BAHÍA’94 (Brasil), Tatu de Ouro e Prêmio Glauber Rocha, CARTOON D’OR’94 (CEE/MEDIA), Prêmio Especial do Júri, VALLADOLID’94 (Espanha), Espiga de Ouro, FESTIVAL TOUS COURTS’94 (França), 1º Prêmio, BADAJOZ’95 (Espanha), 2º Prêmio, ALGARVE’95, Prêmio Melhor Animação, ANNECY’95 (França), Menção Honrosa, MONTECATINI’95 (Itália), Ânfora Memória d’Áqua, SAN ROQUE’96 (Espanha), Menção Honrosa, COVILHÃ’96, Prêmio do Público.
A NOITE – Regina Pessoa - 4´50” – Cor, 16mm - 1999
CLANDESTINO - Abi Feijó e Regina Pessoa - 7’ 32’’ - 35mm, cor; animação - 2000
In the morning of December the 24th, an old and rusty cargo enters the harbour. On board it caries a stowaway, who tries, during the night, to reach firm land. Along the rope, the journey towards freedom is long and painful. Catastrophic images fill his head. Desperate and at the limits of his strengths he is saved by an officer, who touched by his situation, let him go free.
OS PODERES DO SR. PRESIDENTE – Abi Feijó – 5´30” - 2004
CICLO VICIOSO – Abi Feijó, Regina Pessoa e Pedro Serrazina – 23” - 1996
ANA – Abi Feijó - 1´1996
ODISSEIA NAS IMAGENS – Abi Feijó e Regina Pessoa – 25” – 2001
FANTASMAPORTO – Abi Feijó – 33” – 1998
HISTÓRICA TRÁGICA COM FINAL FELIZ TRAGIC STORY WITH HAPPY ENDING - Regina Pessoa - 2005 . Duração: 7 MIN.46seg .
Some people are different. All what they whish is to be like to the others, deliciously mixing among the crowd. There are people spending the rest of their lives fighting to achieve this, denying or hiding their differences. Some other assume it and raise up themselves, getting their place close to the others… in their hearts…
Awards: Prémio SACD , Prémio CSTe Prémio ARTE – Espace projets, Annecy’2001, França, Prémio Especial do Juri , Melhor Filme Português, Prémio da Crítica e Prémio RTP/Onda Curta (Radio e Televisão Portuguesa) – Cinanima 2005, Portugal, Prémio Melhor Animação – Granada 2006, Espanha, Prémio Melhor Animação – Cinema – Caminhos do Cinema Português 2006, Portugal, Prémio Especial do Júri – Anifest 2006 Trebon, República Checa, 1º Prémio à Qualidade – CNC’ 2006, França, Grande Prémio – SICAF 2006 – Coreia do Sul, 1º Prémio - Festival de Curtas-Metragens do Hostital Júlio de Matos’06 – Portugal, Grande Prémio e Prémio TPS Cinéculte pour un Court Métrage - Annecy’06 – França, Prémio Best Session – Melbourne’06 – Austrália, Nomeação para o Cartoon d’Or’06 – Forum Cartoon Pau – Europa, Menção Especial– Montecatini’06 – Itália, 2º Prémio Especial do Júri: Design e 2º Prémio Especial do Júri: Banda Sonora – Animamundi’06 – Brasil , Prémio do Público, Mention du Jury e Mention du Jury Junior – Silhouettes’06 – França, Special International Jury Prize – Hiroshima’06 – Japão, Tatu de Prata – Jornada da Bahia’06 – Brasil, Prémio do Público – Ovarvídeo’06 – Portugal, Grande Prémio (exaequo) – Mecal’06 – Espanha, 3º Prémio – AniMadrid’06 – Espanha, Prémio Especial – CICDAF’06 – China, Menção Honrosa : Artes – Columbus’06 – USA, Melhor Animação – Interfilm Berlin’06 – Alemanha, Menção Especial – L’Alternativa’06 – Espanha, Prémio Especial para a Animação - Siena'2006 – Itália, Menção Especial do Júri – Animated Dreams’06 – Estónia, Menção Especial - Curta Cinema'06 – Brasil, Menção Honrosa do Júri - 10º Festival Luso-Brasileiro de Santa Maria da Feira'06 – Portugal, Coup de Coeur du Jury - Festival du Film Court Francophone Vaulx en Velin 2007 – França, Nomeação para os 27º Genie Awards – Canadá, Tricky Women Award 2007 (exaequo) - Tricky Women Festival - Viena – Áustria, Grande Prémio do Júri - South by Southwest'2007 – USA, Menção Honrosa - Nashville’07 – EUA, Melhor Realização – Covilhã´07 – Portugal, Lutin para o Melhor Filme de Animação – Les Lutins du Court Métrage’07 – França, Melhor Curta Metragem - Toronto International Portuguese Film Festival'07 – Canadá, Prémio do Público - Platform International Animation Festival 2007 - Oregon – USA, Diploma FIPRESCI - 4th European Animated Film Festival BALKANIMA 2007 – Sérvia, Melhor Banda Sonora Silver Elephant - The Golden Elephant Film Festival 2007 – India, Mensão Honrosa - Etudia&Anima 2007 - International Film festival Krakow 2007 – Polônia, Prémio Inovação 2007 - no âmbito do Prémio Nacional Manuel Pinto de Azevedo Jr – Portugal, Prémio Animação - FIKE 2007 - Festival Internacional Curtas Metragens de Évora - Portugal
HISTORIA DE PORTUGAL - FADO LUSITANO – Abi Feijó – 5´35” - 1995
SEU DESTINO PODE SER MUDADO – Abi Feijó – 23” - 1996
